Complicated mechanical devices have crevices and recesses that are difficult, if not almost impossible to clean with ease without disassembly into separate component parts. Devices that are not properly cleaned and sterilized increase the risk of disease transfer from patient to patient. This is especially true following the emergence of certain “prions” that are not killed by normal hospital sterilization.
Further, in surgical procedures in which access to the treatment site is limited, it is difficult to use current solutions without subjecting the patient to repeated abrasion and tissue trauma when inserting and extracting surgical instruments.
Additionally, the insertion of a prosthetic implant is often problematic, and the orientation of the implant in a properly prepared recess is often critical to minimize recovery time of the patient. Still further, once the appropriate position of the tool is selected, it is often difficult to ensure that the position does not change upon insertion of the assembly through the incision.
It would be beneficial, therefore, to have an orthopedic tool holder that is easily adjustable, disassemblable, and cleanable. Additionally, it would be beneficial if the tool holder can be partially disassembled for cleaning without the need to completely separate any of the component parts completely from the device as a whole. Further, it would be beneficial to have a holder that enables the surgeon to better maneuver and position a tool head to facilitate preparing a bone site to receive a prosthetic implant in a particular angular orientation.